1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum apparatus, and more particularly to a vacuum apparatus for easily forming a high vacuum in a bottle or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, the usage of vacuum bottles or containers are wide spread from medical applications to storing foods or chemical solutions, and its need are just as diverse. For example, coffee beans which are sensitive to a moisture is usually stored in the vacuum bottle to maintain its freshness.
Various apparatuses and methods for forming and maintaining a vacuum in a bottle have been proposed. FIGS. 1 to 4 show a sealing cap disclosed in a U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,865. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the sealing cap comprises a tubular body portion 10 with an encircling skirt 12 which grips a bottle or other like containers. Body portion 10 and skirt 12 are formed in one-piece from rubber or other elastomeric material. A through-bore 14 extending along the axial direction of body portion 10 receives a plug 30 of elastomeric material. Plug 30 is movable downward from the initial state shown in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 2, as plug 30 moves downward, the air in the bottle flow out through through-bore 14, and as shown in FIG. 3, plug 30 moves to its final position so as to maintain the vacuum status in the bottle.
Through-bore 14 includes circular portions 15 and 16, and a tapered portion 17. In the initial state of FIG. 1, plug 30 is inserted into an annular groove 16 by a disk portion 33, and the body portion thereof is press-fitted against tapered portion 17.
Tapered portion 17 is formed at a lower portion thereof with a bore portion 18 having a cross-section as shown in FIG. 4. When plug 30 moves inside of bore portion 18, a clearance is formed between plug 30 and an inside wall of bore portion 18 so that the air in the bottle can flow outside through the cap. That is, bore portion 18 has a substantially triangular cross-section thereby forming the clearance with plug 30.
Bore portion 18 is formed at a lower portion thereof with an annular groove 19 and finally with a taper portion 20. When in the final state shown in FIG. 3, plug 30 is inserted into annular groove 19 by disk portion 33 and the body thereof is press-fitted against tapered portion 20.
Through the above described operations, sequentially shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, bottle 40 comes to be evacuated.
However, the sealing cap according to the conventional technique cannot achieve a high vacuum in the bottle because its one time operation which draws only a small amount of the air. In addition, the vertical movement of the plug is not efficient due to its structural inconvenience when manipulated by the user.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum apparatus which forms a high vacuum in a predetermined space by repetitive push down operations and stably seals the vacuum state.
To achieve the object, a first embodiments of the present invention provides a vacuum apparatus comprising: a first means for forming a space portion in which a vacuum pressure or an ambient pressure is applied, the first means being assembled to a space member which encloses a predetermined space; a second means for forming vacuum or ambient state in the space portion, the second means being inserted a lower portion thereof into the first means and vertically reciprocating; a third means for connecting or closing a passage between the space member and the space portion responding to a movement of the second means; a fourth means for connecting or closing a passage between the space portion and ambient responding to the movement of the second means; and a fifth means for releasing a vacuum inside the space member.
The first means includes a lower cylindrical member with an upper portion thereof being opened and a first disc member assembled to the upper portion of the lower cylindrical member and defining an uppermost position of the second means, the lower cylindrical member being formed at a center thereof with a circular channel. The circular channel extends upward from a lower portion of the lower cylindrical member, at a core portion of which a first passage communicating with the space member and ambient, at a circumferential portion of which a second passage communicating with the space member and the space portion, and a first post extends downward from the first disc member and has a predetermined clearance against the second passage, and a circular recess is formed at an upper center portion of the first disc member.
The fifth means includes a second disc member inserted into the circular recess, a second post extending downward from the second disc member and having a predetermined clearance against the first passage, a first O-ring press-fitted between a lower end of the second post and the first passage, and a first compression spring positioned in the circular recess so as to upward urge the second disc member.
According to the feature of the first embodiment, the first passage diverges downward.
The second means includes an upper cylindrical member with an upper portion thereof being opened, the upper cylindrical member being inserted a lower portion thereof into the lower cylindrical member so as to divide the space portion into upper and lower spaces, the second passage being communicated with the upper space. The upper cylindrical member is formed at a lower wall thereof with an opening engaging with the circular channel, the opening being formed at a peripheral portion thereof with a first annular groove into which a second O-ring is inserted so as to block airflow between the upper and lower spaces.
The third means includes a flexible check valve having a dome-like portion at a center thereof, making contact with a lower end of the first post at the first disc member and selectively closing the second passage. The check valve being deformed upward at a circumferential portion thereof when a vacuum is formed in the upper space thereby opening the second passage, and being returned downward when ambient pressure is applied in the upper space thereby closing the second passage.
The first disc member is formed at a peripheral portion thereof with a second outward annular groove. The second annular groove is formed at an upper side location thereof with a third passage communicating with the ambient.
The fourth means includes a third O-ring inserted into the second annular groove, the third O-ring being smaller than the second annular groove in height, being slipped downward between an inner wall of the upper cylindrical member and a lower end of the second annular groove when the upper cylindrical member moves downward, thereby preventing an inflow of the ambient air into the upper space, and being slipped toward an upper end of the second annular groove when the upper cylindrical member moves upward, thereby connecting the upper space and the third passage.
According to a feature of the first embodiment, the upper cylindrical member is formed at a side wall thereof with a fourth passage communicating with the ambient so as to communicate the upper space with the ambient when the lower wall of the upper cylindrical member makes contact with the lower wall of the lower cylindrical member.
A second compression spring is located between an underside of the upper cylindrical member and an upper surface of the lower cylindrical member, thereby upward urging the upper cylindrical member.
The upper cylindrical member is formed at the upper surface thereof with a first step portion and the first disc member is formed at an underside thereof with a second step portion engaging with the first step portion.
The vacuum apparatus further comprises a cover mounted to the upper portion of the upper cylindrical member for facilitating a user the reciprocal movement of the upper cylindrical member. A filter is provided at a lower end portion of the circular channel of the lower cylindrical member.
According to a second embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a vacuum apparatus comprising: a first means for forming a predetermined space portion in which a vacuum or an ambient pressure is applied, the first means being assembled to a space member encircling a predetermined space; a second means for forming a vacuum or an ambient pressure in the space portion by a vertical reciprocal movement thereof, the second means being inserted a lower portion thereof into the first means; a third means for communicating/closing the space member with/from the space portion responding to the reciprocal movement of the upper cylindrical member; and a fourth means for communicating/closing the space portion with/from the ambient responding to the reciprocal movement of the upper cylindrical member.
The first means includes a lower cylindrical member with an upper portion thereof being opened and at a center portion thereof being formed with a stepped circular channel, and a first disc member coupled to the upper portion of the lower cylindrical member so as to define an uppermost position of the second means.
The third means includes a dome-like valve support member inserted into an upper portion of the circular channel and formed at a center thereof with a first passage for communicating the circular channel with the space portion, a disc-like check valve pivotally placed on the valve support member, an operating member having a leg which pushes a side portion of the check valve thereby pivoting the same, and a flexible second disc member for mounting the operating member to the first disc member such that the operating member is vertically movable.
The second means includes an upper cylindrical member with an upper portion thereof being opened, the upper cylindrical member being inserted the lower portion thereof into the lower cylindrical member thereby dividing the space portion into upper and lower spaces, the circular channel communicating with the upper space.
The upper cylindrical member is formed at an underside thereof with an opening inserted around the circular channel. The opening is formed at a peripheral portion thereof with a first annular groove inward opened. A second O-ring for blocking an airflow between the upper and lower spaces is inserted into the first annular groove.
The first disc member is formed at a peripheral portion thereof with a second annular groove outward opened, the second annular groove being formed at an upper end thereof with a third passage communicating the upper space with the ambient.
The fourth means includes a third O-ring inserted into the second annular groove and being smaller than the second annular groove in height, the third O-ring being slipped downward between an inner wall of the upper cylindrical member and a lower end of the second annular groove when the upper cylindrical member moves downward, thereby preventing an inflow of the ambient air into the upper space, and being slipped to an upper end of the second annular groove when the upper cylindrical member moves upward, thereby connecting the upper space and the third passage.
According to a feature of the second embodiment, the upper cylindrical member is formed at a side wall thereof with a fourth passage communicating with the ambient so as to communicate the upper space with the ambient when an underside of the upper cylindrical member makes contact with the lower wall of the lower cylindrical member.
When the upper cylindrical member moves downward, the second disc member is underlaid at an upper surface thereof with an ambient pressure and at an underside thereof with a vacuum, thereby being deformed downward so that the leg of the operating member pushes a side portion of the check valve so as to pivot the same and an airflow is generated through the first passage from the space member to the upper space, and sequentially when the upper cylindrical member moves lowermost position such that the lower wall of the upper cylindrical member makes contact with the lower wall of the lower cylindrical member, the fourth passage is opened thereby communicating the upper space with the ambient and applying an ambient pressure to the underside of the second disc member so that the second disc member returns upward and the check valve closes the first passage.
A second compression spring is located between an underside of the upper cylindrical member and an upper surface of the lower cylindrical member, thereby upward urging the upper cylindrical member.
The upper cylindrical member is formed at the upper surface thereof with a first step portion and the first disc member is formed at an underside thereof with a second step portion engaging with the first step portion.
The vacuum apparatus further comprises a cover mounted to the upper portion of the upper cylindrical member for facilitating for a user the reciprocal movement of the upper cylindrical member.
A filter is provided at a lower end portion of the circular channel of the lower cylindrical member.
As described above, the first and the second embodiments achieves that a high vacuum is easily formed inside of the space member such as a bottle, a medical evacuation instrument or the like and is maintained stably.